Cracking out the winter clothers early
Trip Start
Aug 24, 2010
1
2
14
Trip End
Dec 21, 2010
Where I stayed
Auntie Margeruite's House
Malmesbury, England, United Kingdom
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tues Aug 24 - Wed Aug 25
My flight left Atlanta at 5:15 in the evening. I had a window seat, which is the best for overnight flights. The flight went well with only a little turbulance. However the lady sitting next to me had 3 glasses of wine and didn't understand the concept of personal space, so I didn't get very much sleep. We landed at Gatwick airport at 6 in the morning local time (so 1 am EST) an hour ahead of schedule. Uncle Michael was picking me up at the airport, but we didn't actually meet up until 8:30 (an hour and a half after I had made it through immigration and customs) because neither of us recognized the other. Once we finally got together we drove and met up with Auntie Margeruite. Right now Auntie Antoinette and her family were on vacation at Auntie Margeruites house, so it was a nice to see them all again. I haven't been to England since I was sixteen, so my cousins have changed a lot since I last saw them. Once we got home I went out with Auntie Antoinette to a Christmas store in Lechley. I was a bit jetlagged, so I slept on the way there, but the town was really cute with the an english red phone box and red post box. I didn't end up going to bed until ten that night, but it helped with getting over the jetlag quicker.
Thurs Aug 26
After breakfast Auntie Margeruite and I went into Malmesbury (the town where she lives) and visited the abbey that was half destroyed by Henry VIII. We also went around the small Malmesbury museum that included local stories about a flying monk and a girl who was eaten by a tiger. In the afternoon me and my cousins Matthew and Jacob went to Lacock and walked around another old abbey. But this abbey was special because the halls and courtyard in this one was used as a set in the first two Harry Potter movies :).
Fri Aug 27
Today we went to a nearby aboretum (a forest with a diversity of trees). Today the weather was sunny and relatively warm (as in 60 instead of 50). The walk around the forest was really nice. Later on we went iceskating which was fun and funny. I managed not to fall down too much, but Megan's friend was all over the place. In the evening we played pictionary and snip,snap,snorum (a card game).
Sat Aug 28
Today we went to Caen Hills Locks at Devize. These are some of the steepest locks relative to its length (in 2006 I went to Foxton Locks which is one of the longest sets). Later when we were back home Ellie, Antoinette, Margeruite, and I played some Scrabble. Then I charged up my camera battery then plugged in my computer. I didn't read the instructions on the converter that I bought and after 5 minutes there was a smell of burning plastic and a pop... my converter had blown. My computer and their plugs were fine fortunately. After a while we figured out that I had only really needed to bring plug adaptors for both of my plugs, I hadn't needed a power converter at all. So Uncle Steve has lent me a British plug for my computer and UK to EU plug adaptor and my camera charger can just use the US to EU adaptor. In the evening we watched Dear John and then I did a music swap with Ellie.
Today I will be going over to Grandma's so I might not be online for a while. I will be coming back to Auntie Margeruite's on Wednesday then on Friday I'm off to Sevilla!
Food List to drool over:
- Toad in the Hole (yum!)
- Rubharb crumble and custard (yum)
- Bacon butties for breakie (yum)
- Indian takeout (yum)
- Bovril Toast x2 (yum)
- Full fry up English breakfast (including fried toast, tomatoes, mushrooms, good english bacon back, baked beans, scrambled eggs, and sausage) (yummo)
- Worcester Sauce Walkers crisps
- Salt and Vinegar Hula Hoops
- Locally made blackcurrant and cream icecream (yum)
- and 20 gagillion cups of English tea to keep you warm
Side notes:
- It's been about 52F and drizzley mostly but the past two days it's been sunny and gotten up to 60F. According to my iPod Seville is around 104F! So I've got a bit of a weather change coming up.
- My duffle bag gave me two bruises on my leg from carrying it
- My favorite question that I've been asked (by Jacob, my cousin) "Is it true that all Americans sleep with a gun next to their bed?" haha. What kind of reputation do we have :)
\\//, Alice
Comments
mmm... i'm so hungry now. Thanks. And Jacob's questions was quiet funny.
Glad you're having a wonderful time in England! I hear you with the temperature change, I was like really? Do I have to leave this 70 degree weather everyday?
the food list needs to be the first thing you talk about, but its a brilliant idea
and to Jacob's post you should have said no its not true some sleep with two
fish and chips and english pancakes to come before heading off to Spain (you need the carbs here with the lovely English summer)!
Hi Alice - glad to hear you are enjoying yourself. I should bet your Mum will kill for a bacon buttie!
I have never been to this part of the UK but looks very historical ! Enjoy the rest of your time.
LINDA